Quick Baking Mix

Use this mix to replace “Bisquick” in recipes.

Quick Baking Mix

5 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup baking powder
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 weeks.

Impossible Cheesecake Pie

IMPOSSIBLE CHEESECAKE PIE

The pie that does the impossible by making its own crust.

3/4 c. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. baking mix
2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, cut into about 1/2 inch cubes and softened
Cheesecake Topping (below)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease pie plate, 9 x 1 1/4 inches. Place milk, vanilla, eggs, sugar and baking mix in blender container. Cover and blend on high 15 seconds. Add cream cheese. Cover and blend on high 2 minutes. Pour into plate. Bake until center is firm, 40 to 45 minutes; cool. Spread Cheesecake Topping carefully over top. Garnish with fruit if desired.

CHEESECAKE TOPPING

Mix Together:

1 c. dairy sour cream
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Rosebud’s Butter Topped White Bread

I love making bread. I try to make fresh bread on a weekly basis, often more than once during a week. For years my favorite bread has been my Sweet Sourdough Bread due to its simplicity in preparation and its delicious taste and texture. I still love that bread for making toast and just for eating in general. But this bread. Oh. My. Goodness. This is the most wonderful white bread I have ever made. Perfect for sandwiches. Perfect for toast. Croutons. You can slice it thin and it has the softest texture of any homemade bread I have ever made. I plan to try this recipe for rolls and buns, too. Oh, and my loaves rose a good 5 or 6 inches! Beautiful!

I found this recipe at the Curvy Carrot. Be sure to stop over there and say hello!

Rosebud’s Butter Topped White Bread

4 and 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast (or the equivalent of two packets)

3/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into pieces

2 and 2/3 cup additional warm water

9-10 cups all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, for brushing the tops of the loaves

Additional butter/cooking spray, for greasing your rising bowl and loaf pans

1. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, dissolve the yeast in 3/4 cup of warm water, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the sugar, salt, butter, additional 2 and 2/3 cup warm water, and mix gently to combine.

3.  Slowly add 5 cups of the flour, mixing on low speed until smooth.

4. With the mixer on its lowest speed (you don’t want flour everywhere…as I have discovered), slowly add the remaining flour until the dough is smooth.

5. Switch to your dough hook attachment and knead the dough for 10 minutes. Or, alternatively, you can do it the old fashioned way and

6.  While the dough is kneading, lightly grease a large bowl with butter or cooking spray, as well as two loaf pans.

7.  Once the dough is ready, place the dough in the greased bowl and turn over to completely coat the dough with butter/cooking spray.  Cover, and set in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.

8. After an hour, gently punch down the dough and divide it into two portions.

9. Working with one portion at a time, roll (with a rolling pin) the dough out into roughly 12″ x 12″ square, making sure that the thickness of the dough is uniform throughout.

10.  Slowly and tightly roll up each rectangle, sealing the edges firmly.

11.  Tuck the ends of the roll tightly under the bread and place into your prepared loaf pans.  Repeat with the second loaf.  Cover the loaves, set in a warm place, and let rise until doubled, about another hour.

12.  Place one rack on the lowest position in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

13. Bake the loaves for 15 minutes, then cover each loaf with aluminum foil to prevent the tops from browning too much.

14.  Once covered with foil, bake for an additional 15 minutes.

15. Remove the loaves from the oven, place on a wire rack to cool, and lightly brush the loaves with the melted butter.

Cornmeal Pie

I found this recipe at Chicken’s in the Road – Farm Bell Recipes. It reminds me a little of a Chess pie that I love to make at Thanksgiving time.

Turned out pretty, yes? Well, my fluted edges could use some work.

Cornmeal Pie

1 deep dish or 2 regular unbaked pie shells (see below)

1 cup butter or margarine

2 cups granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 Tablespoons cornmeal (stone-ground preferred)

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Mix all ingredients (except nuts) in a heavy saucepan. Bring mixture to a slow boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 3 minutes. Add nuts if desired. Pour into pie shells and bake at 375 degrees for 35 – 40 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to fully cool before serving.

Note: The original recipe called for 2 unbaked pie shells. I made two Spelt Pie Crusts and lined my two pie plates with them. Then I made the filling. One batch of the filling filled only one of my pie shells. So I made a second batch of the filling. Either my pie plates are really large or the lady who posted the original recipe used small pie plates. So, I don’t know. You decide.

Also, I used this Spelt Pie Crust Recipe for the first time. It was okay. I felt like there was too much fat in the pie crust and it made the crust too soft. So, next time I will try this recipe for Easy Vegan Spelt Pie Crust.

This pie was a nice ending to our menu of Southern Fried Tofu, French Green Beans, and Rutabagas.

7-Up Biscuits (with a Gluten Free Version)

		7UP Biscuits in a cast iron skillet.

Okay, so I recently discovered this recipe on Pintrest and from the look of the photo I knew I had to try it. I have made these biscuits several times now and they are sooooo yummy! Light and fluffy. Buttery with a perfect golden, crispy sweet crust. Oh my.

See how light and fluffy?

I made two batches of these yesterday, plus a gluten free version for my daughter to eat on all week. I don’t use Bisquick so here is my version:

7- Up Biscuits + Gluten Free Version

2 cups all purpose flour OR all purpose Gluten Free flour mix (I used King Arthur brand.)

2 tbsp. baking powder

1 tbsp white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup shortening (or butter or margarine) – I used Earth Balance natural shortening.

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup 7-UP (or Sprite or Ginger Ale)

1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put 1/4 cup butter in iron skillet or 8 inch baking pan and melt in oven. Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly. Add 7-Up and sour cream. Mix together until just combined. If the dough is too dry you can add a small amount of 7-Up to fix that. The dough should be soft and not dry, but not too sticky either.

Pat out dough on a floured counter about 1/2 inch thick. Cut out biscuits. I used a 2 inch biscuit cutter and got twelve biscuits from the dough. Remove skillet from oven and place cut out biscuits in hot butter being careful not to burn yourself! I usually keep a pot holder over the hot handle of my skillet to prevent myself or anyone else from carelessly grabbing the handle. Ouch!

Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until biscuits are a nice golden brown.

About the Gluten Free Version:

There was very little difference in the texture or taste between the two. The only real difference was that the wheat flour biscuits rose a little higher, but perhaps some xantham gum would help that, which I presently do not have in my cupboard. The taste and texture was incredible and my daughter was thrilled! The photos above are of the wheat biscuits.

Here are photos of the gluten free biscuits:

The texture of the gluten free dough is nice and soft just like the wheat biscuits.

Here they go into that melted butter. Yum!

Twelve biscuits ready to bake!

See how beautiful and golden brown these gluten free biscuits are?

Holiday Wreath Appetizer

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sour cream

Remove crescent dough from packaging (do not unroll). Cut each tube into eight slices. Arrange in an 11-in. circle on an ungreased 14-in. pizza pan.

Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing to a serving platter; cool completely.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, dill and garlic powder until smooth. Spread over wreath; top with broccoli, celery and red pepper. Form a bow garnish with celery leaves. Yield: 16 servings.

Lemon Cheesecake Squares

Lemon Cheesecake Squares

Crust:

3/4 cup shortening
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

Filling:
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1/3 cup lemon juice
4 teaspoons grated lemon peel

In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and brown sugar. Combine the flour, oats and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Press dough into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Spread with jam.

For filling, beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour until fluffy. Add the eggs, lemon juice and peel just until blended. Carefully spoon over jam. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and store in the refrigerator.

To cut into squares, dip knife in warm water and between each slice, cleaning as needed.

Melissa’s Cornbread (gluten free)

Recently, we decided that Sarah (she turns 17 years old today!!), who has Chron’s Disease should go gluten free. Our family has been vegetarian since 1998, so cooking vegan foods for Sarah was an easy transition, but going gluten free has been more of a thought provoking challenge. However, I am very excited about the possibilities and now that I have stocked up on some basic essentials for gluten free cooking, it doesn’t seem nearly as daunting.

Cornbread is something I cook quite often. It is a recipe that we love, love, love. My recipe called for flour. Last night, I decided to try the recipe without the flour, replacing it with cornmeal. The kids said they liked it even better. Who knew?

Melissa’s Gluten Free Cornbread

2 cups cornmeal

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. I like to put my cast iron skillet in there to heat up and melt 2 tbsp. butter/ margarine in the skillet. Mix together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Mix until combined.

Remove cast iron skillet from oven, carefully! Tip from side to side to evenly coat with melted butter. Pour cornbread batter into skillet and bake for 20 minutes.

This recipe is soooo good. You can use this recipe to top pot pies, baked chili, Mexican Pie, and more. Add finely chopped jalapenos or corn, chopped onions and more for different flavors.

Basic Crumb Pie Crust

This basic recipe for a crumb pie shell is perfect for any chilled or frozen pie.

Basic Crumb Pie Crust

1 1/2 cups fine crumbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cups butter, melted

Make crumbs in the food processor or crush in a zip top baggie. You can make crumbs from graham crackers, cereal, vanilla wafers, chocolate cookies, gingersnap cookies (or any other cookie). Mix crumbs and sugar together; stir in melted butter. Line pie plate with mixture, pressing firmly into place. Chill for 20 minutes or bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Makes 1 pie shell, 9-inch.

Variation:  For a cinnamon crust, use graham cracker crumbs and mix in 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon along with sugar and butter.

Pineapple Bread Pudding

8 slices Italian bread
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup low-fat milk
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups white sugar
1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks, (do not drain)
3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Cut the bread into 1 inch pieces and place on a baking sheet. Toast for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Remove from oven and reserve. Beat the eggs, milk, butter, and sugar in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in the pineapple w/liquid and the toasted bread cubes and toss until coated. Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Bake until puffed and golden, about 45 minutes. Serve warm with a sprinkle of powdered sugar for garnish.

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